We would like to draw your attention to the 1st Young Executives Shipping Forum (YES Forum) which will be held on Friday, 10 June 2016 from 12.00 to 17.00 hrs during POSIDONIA 2016 at POSIDONIA Conference Hall.

The 1st Young Executives Shipping Forum aims to serve as a forum of an open dialogue between Shipping Industry principals and executives with youngsters including university students, teenagers in secondary education-general or maritime- and recent graduates. Its goal is to highlight potential career and business opportunities, both at sea and ashore, in the maritime sector while creating and supporting related partnerships and initiatives. Shipping is a comprehensive industry capable of absorbing Greece’s youngsters from various educational backgrounds.

Changing the perception of the young generation about a career in shipping, both ashore and at sea, could also improve our very high rates of unemployment. We all understand that it is time to turn the crisis into opportunity for Greece.

The forum will consist of three panels. The first one will host Ship-Owners, the Second Shipping Executives and the third one Executives from the wider Maritime Services Sector. All discussions will be held in the Greek language.

The speakers will encourage the audience to follow a career in the Shipping Industry, explaining that there is room for more of our graduates. The only “obligation” is to love shipping! Posidonia 2016 is the right time to promote networking and co-ordinate initiatives, drawing young graduates to become better acquainted with shipping. We do hope that you will be able to endorse and support the YES Forum.

Participation in the YES Forum will be through the online registration form found on the YES Forum website (http://www.yes-forum.com/). Delegates will receive their personal invitation to the YES Forum, which must be presented on the day.

The Delegates will have the opportunity to submit questions towards the panellists through our website and through an application before and during the YES Forum. The Panel moderators will make sure all the questions are answered and an open dialogue will take place.

A Pre – Networking event will be held in May 2016 to reveal the Forum to the delegates and will give the opportunity to both delegates and Shipping Decision Makers, to gather and exchange views.

The follow up of the 1st Young Executives Shipping Forum will be the creation of Mentor-Mentee couples between industry professionals as Mentors and the young generation as Mentees. Mentoring is an opportunity for learning and growth. The outcome is rewarding and substantial, for both sides. During the Mentor-Mentee sessions, applicants will meet in order to decide who would be the most suitable Mentor for them and the couples will be formed. Mentor-Mentee couples will meet once a month for 12 months, having the chance to set goals for Mentees’ further development. Five Mentor-Mentee sessions will take place before the 2nd Young Executives Shipping Forum in 2017, where the results of these mentoring sessions will be presented.

Posidonia 2016 will become a solid bridge with the Young Executives that are already in the shipping business and those that are ready and willing to embark on the unique journey internationally known as “Greek Shipping”.

Overall, we will be contributing to the Future of Greek Shipping Community and taking a part in extending these 3000 years of history and tradition!